Christian faith in action

The application of the principles of Christianity to the everyday lives of the followers of that religion. Christians believe that the love of God and the love of humanity cannot be separated. They believe that if they show true Christian love in their thoughts and actions, they will not do anything to hurt or anger either God or fellow human beings. The teachings of Jesus, who told his followers to love their neighbours as they loved themselves, to love their enemies, and to do good to those who persecuted them, further encourage Christians to put this practice into their own lives. Christians regard it a duty to serve God by helping those in need in a practical way.

One of the ways in which the Christian faith can be put into action is working for organizations. Groups such as the World Council of Churches promotes united Christian action throughout the world. It looks at current world problems and regards working for peace and justice to be part of the Christian faith. Christian Aid and the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development are other organizations where Christians work to put their faith into action.

In the 20th century, a number of religious people have been identified as examples of the Christian faith being put into action.

Martin Luther King Baptist minister Martin Luther King Jr worked to achieve racial equality for African Americans. His belief that all people were equal in the sight of God, one of the central values of his faith, was demonstrated in his celebrated speech in Washington in 1963, in which he declared:

‘I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the sort of persons they are. I have a dream that one day ... all God's children, black, white, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants, and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the black people's old song. Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, we are free at last.’

King's refusal to support violence under any circumstances was strengthened by his belief in the teachings of Jesus. He believed that violence and hatred could only be overcome by love and forgiveness.

Mother Teresa Roman Catholic nun Mother Teresa believed that she had been called to serve God as a nun, but in the community rather than at prayer in a convent. She worked and lived among the poor, sick, dying, and destitute in Calcutta (now Kolkata), India.

Mother Teresa saw God in the poor and hungry. The debilitated bodies of the people she cared for reminded her of the sufferings of Jesus on the cross. The celebration of the Eucharist, or Mass, was very important to Mother Teresa. She summed up her feelings about her faith and its impact on her work with the words: ‘I cannot do without Mass. If I can see Jesus in the appearance of bread then I will be able to see him in the broken bodies of the poor.’

Desmond Tutu In his work struggling against apartheid in South Africa, priest Archbishop Desmond Tutu demonstrated his belief that showing love to others is a way of serving God, and that it is a duty to care for the homeless, the sick, and the disadvantaged. Tutu said: ‘True Christian worship includes the love of God and the love of neighbour. The two must go together or your Christianity is false. We are Christian not only in church on Sunday... It is for every day.’

Oscar Arnulfo Romero Y Galdames As a Roman Catholic priest, Romero believed that Christians should demonstrate their faith by the way they live their lives. In his native El Salvador, Romero spoke out against political repression, reportedly inspired by the way Jesus was described as standing up for the poor, oppressed, and outcast. He was assassinated in 1980.